Posts from When Football Was Football podcast.
He was an imposing figure, whether tracking down opposing quarterbacks or selling caskets. At 6-8 and approximately 280 pounds, with a high jumper’s athleticism, it’s not difficult to imagine what it was like to play quarterback with this defensive end bearing down on you. His name was Doug Atkins, and after an NFL career that … Read more
When his coaching career ended almost 95 years ago, he was so successful that he remains today as the NFL’s winningest coach of all time. He won four NFL titles in six years of coaching. In those four championship seasons, he piled up a phenomenal 42-2-6 record, and did so with three different teams! And … Read more
In professional sports, we have experienced a wide spectrum of clearly memorable nicknames. For example, in baseball, we instantly recognize nicknames like the Babe, Mick, Yogi, and Moose. Moose? Of course, that would be “Moose” Skowron who played for the New York Yankees and the Chicago White Sox among other teams. But what about pro … Read more
As we approach the 2022 Super Bowl, one old and familiar name will be missing from the participants: the Cardinals. Again. After a promising start to the 2021 season that sputtered and then ground to a halt in the first round of the playoffs, the Cardinals have ensured that the longest streak without a championship … Read more
It is now common in the National Football League to have quarterbacks who are bigger in size than linemen were in days gone by. Consider guys like Big Ben Roethlisberger and Cam Newton who both stand 6-5 and weigh over 240 pounds. A century ago, when the NFL was struggling to survive, it was rare … Read more